Freshwater drum Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 1 lakes

Freshwater drum is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 1 lakes carry documentation. Freshwater drum is narrowly distributed — only 1 lakes in Michigan have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Freshwater drum lake list below against the LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and Freshwater drum documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

31 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Freshwater drum Lakes

14%

31%

41%

Best Freshwater drum Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with freshwater drum ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Pelican Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	55 ft	20
2	Lizzie Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	66 ft	21
3	Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	A	95 ft	19
4	Andrew Lake	Douglas	MN	A	83 ft	18
5	Lower Hamlin Lake North Central Basin South of the Narrows	Mason	MI	A	-	11
6	Florida Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	B	40 ft	18
7	Lida Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	58 ft	20
8	Minnewaska Lake	Pope	MN	B	32 ft	21
9	Roemhildts Lake	Le Sueur	MN	B	60 ft	13
10	Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	B	78 ft	36
11	Medicine Lake	Beltrami	MN	B	44 ft	12
12	Eagle Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	B	67 ft	17
13	Little Pine Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	63 ft	20
14	Big Pine Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	76 ft	20
15	Lake Audubon	McLean	ND	B	59.4 ft	11
16	Andrew Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	C	26 ft	16
17	Blackduck Lake	Beltrami	MN	C	28 ft	16
18	Waconia Lake	Carver	MN	C	37 ft	16
19	Frances Lake	Le Sueur	MN	C	60 ft	16
20	Little Chippewa Lake	Douglas	MN	C	24 ft	16
21	St. Croix Lake	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
22	Trenton Lake	Williams	ND	C	8.1 ft	11
23	Pelican Lake	Pope	MN	C	34 ft	18
24	Volney Lake	Le Sueur	MN	C	67 ft	12
25	South Long Lake	Ramsey	MN	C	30 ft	12
26	Burandt Lake	Carver	MN	C	24 ft	12
27	Pool of Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
28	Pool on Lake St. Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
29	Games Lake	Kandiyohi	MN	C	42 ft	15
30	Alkali Lake	Sargent	ND	C	21.9 ft	6
31	Long Lake	Watonwan	MN	D	13 ft	13
32	Zumbro Lake	Olmsted	MN	D	43 ft	24
33	Rays Lake	Le Sueur	MN	D	32 ft	15
34	Maple Lake	Polk	MN	D	14 ft	12
35	Barrett Lake	Grant	MN	D	28 ft	23
36	Pickerel Lake	Dakota	MN	D	11 ft	15
37	Upper Red Lake: West-Central	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
38	Pomme de Terre Lake	Grant	MN	D	23 ft	22
39	Upper Red Lake: East	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
40	Rush Lake	Chisago	MN	D	24 ft	16
41	Upper Red Lake: West	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
42	Upper Red Lake: East Central	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
43	Upper Red Lake: Central	Beltrami	MN	D	15 ft	15
44	Lake Jefferson	Le Sueur	MN	D	37 ft	18
45	Reitz Lake	Carver	MN	D	36 ft	14
46	German Lake	Le Sueur	MN	D	51 ft	19
47	Little Spirit Lake	Jackson	MN	D	8 ft	23
48	Winona Lake	Winona	MN	D	38 ft	24
49	Madison Lake	Blue Earth	MN	D	59 ft	20
50	Upper Estuary Lake	St. Louis	MN	D	55 ft	33

Showing top 50 of 107 lakes with freshwater drum.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have freshwater drum?

Freshwater drum are found in 1 graded lakes: 1 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with freshwater drum is A (Excellent).

What are the best lakes for freshwater drum?

The best freshwater drum lakes by water quality are Pelican Lake, Lizzie Lake, Chippewa Lake, Andrew Lake, Lower Hamlin Lake North Central Basin South of the Narrows. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where freshwater drum have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with freshwater drum?

Freshwater drum are most commonly found alongside freshwater drum, black crappie, yellow perch, walleye, northern pike. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Freshwater drum Lakes

Black Crappie Lakes

Found together in 102 lakes · 41 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 100 lakes · 113 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 98 lakes · 840 total

Northern pike Lakes

Found together in 97 lakes · 99 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 96 lakes · 240 total

Common carp Lakes

Found together in 95 lakes · 6 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.